My Richmond Experience

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Richmond
1

<p>Let me preface this by saying that I am posting this solely because my experience was so awful at the University of Richmond, that I do not wish it upon anyone to face what I did. It goes without saying, I am not a fan of this school.</p>

<p>When I was a senior in high school, I was quite naive about the college admissions process and clueless about what I wanted to get out of school. This was my own fault. I definitely could have done more research, worked harder at finding a better fit, and identified my goals. However, I took the route of I will go to a school that seems to offer things I was excited about and worry about my career/life later. I repeat, this was largely my fault.</p>

<p>The University of Richmond lured me in with the promise of a collegial atmosphere, beautiful campus, and what I perceived to be a solid education. I thought I was making a great decision choosing this school. I bought the sales pitch; hook, line, and sinker. The school offers none of the above. First, the facilities at Richmond are substandard. Furnishings in the rooms remind one of a cheap YMCA summer camp cabin. Internet connectivity and services are limited as well. I'm sure they've improved wireless capabilities in the years since I have been there, but still for the exorbitant price of tuition, I doubt they have made enough improvements. Eating options were likewise extremely limited and very expensive. The school continues to hold on to its main cafeteria as the bread and butter of its food services plan for students and quality suffers because of it. The inefficient building is dark, food is substandard, and because of the location of the school alternatives are not available. In short, the housing and food services there were poor. The lack of options continues with athletic facilities. They are limited and far away. What the school has is woefully inadequate for the entire student population + faculty. My high school had better weight rooms. I mention these flaws first, because they are important in dispelling the myth that Richmond admissions officers and literature uses to convince people to come with. It is a beautiful place to visit, it is an uncomfortable school to attend. Beauty of a pond, big trees, lots of flowers only lasts for a few days. Soon you won't even see you're surroundings; but you will be forced to sleep in uncomfortable lodgings, eat unappatizing food, and excercise outside like your parents had to.</p>

<p>I'd now like to turn my attention to the academics at Richmond. They are nothing to speak of. The University does hire full PhDs, but this does not improve classes or create intellectual stimulation in a meaningful way. Classes may be smaller than a state university, but students are often less bright. The writing is flat and the work ethic is so-so. It is not a stimulating environment. The difference between a large state university and a school like Richmond is that while you may need a lower SAT to get into the Public, you will constantly be surrounded by opportunities and inspiriation and ways to escape. At Richmond, you are stuck with other undergraduates who are largely clueless. You don't learn from clueless people in a closed surrounding. You don't gain anything from people that don't know what it is to work or volunteer in a bigger city. You are cut off. Friendships at this school are skin deep. The school feels like a boarding school and most people will never grow up. It is socially stagnating. Your people skills will likely not improve and you will be anything but marketable in your first job interviews. Richmond is not a prestigious degree. People do not interpret a degree from Richmond as being anything more valuable than a degree from Longwood, VCU, or Old Dominion. </p>

<p>This brings me to your career prospects. Out of Richmond they are dismal. The Business School will fair better, simply because there are jobs out there for many finance and accounting types. For the most part, you will make as much as your fellow counterparts at VCU. For everyone who chooses a Liberal Arts degree, good luck. You will graduate without any substantial qualifications for any position and will no doubt have trouble finding work. Many of you will apply to graduate schools. However, your undergraduate career will likely be lacklustor. (There simply isn't that much to be involved in at Richmond). You may be in a sorority or a tiny oncampus group, but you will still be largely a naive student with a certain naivety about the world that puts you at a disadvantage when you graduate.</p>

<p>This school costs a fortune and cannot provide its students with any equal value with its services. I feel that it is a sham for anyone put in the position of borrowing money or having their parents pay to attend this school. You will certainly get a better degree at your local state university. If you have the numbers to be competitive at Richmond, look elsewhere. This school is not worth it.</p>

2

<p>You state yourself that you went there a few years back so I figured I'd clear up a few things you mention, some criticisms that are outdated. First, the Cafeteria is under two years old and very nice, the chef won a pretty nice award this past year. There are also some other eating options that might not have been there when you went there; the cellar, pier, freshens and 8:15 at Boatwright. Also the new gym opened this past winter so its brand new also very nice. Also the student body has improved in the past few years each incoming class is more competitive than the last.</p>

3

<p>When did you come to UR? You must really hate the place to be bashing it still. It's generally a good idea to check your facts before spreading lies about a school.</p>

<p>As xx13xx stated, UR's dining hall was just renovated and the food is pretty damn good; even with the old d-hall, I had no problem ever finding something to eat. The gym is AMAZING; it was just renovated ($35 million worth of renovations). Also, all of the residence halls are being renovated. A new building will be open for the 07-08 year and over the next few years, kids will be moved into the new building in order to renovate all of the older ones.</p>

<p>The school wants students to succeed and has amazing resources that they're practically throwing at us; URdefect, if you had maybe checked out the Career Development Center, you could have found plenty of jobs.</p>

<p>As to the social life, well, okay, some of the kids are dullards. I'm not going to lie. But if you get involved with something you're passionate about, then you're going to find people you can connect with, discuss important issues with, etc. I often feel like I don't fit in with the majority of the campus, but you know what? I still love this place.</p>

<p>URdefect, you are one of a few people who could despise a place so much that you would join for the pure pleasure of bashing a school you clearly haven't seen in a few years.</p>

4

<p>I last visited UR in the Spring of 2006. At that time, it did not appear to be changed that much. Even if the gym/dining hall were renovated it still doesn't change the fact that a) there are limited food options for student (ie no off-campus options easily available) and the excercise facilities are on one side of the campus far away from most of the going-ons. If they are renovating all of the dormitories, that is a good thing as there is a great number of them that did not even have air conditioning when I attended. The entire campus also had horrible furniture that was uncomfortable and reminded me of being at a summer camp I attended when I was eight years old.</p>

<p>The facts about declining student quality are true. When I attended UR was considered "most selective" in the USNWR rankings, now it has dropped to "more selective." The university has seen declining numbers of top-10%ers as well. Although the school will say this is because fewer schools rank, but this is odd because no other school seems to have this problem. I feel that Richmond will continue to decline as well given the exoribitant cost of attendance. While they may be able to attract a handful of good students at the top of their class; but raising costs they are making it impossible for middle class and lower class students to attend at the median. Their 'demonstrated need' gimmick will capture most potential students between a rock and a hard spot where significant loans will be necessary to attend a school that looks and feels like a secondary boarding school.</p>

<p>Career services for students is actually horrible. Compared to real universities it is appalling. Basically the only thing the office does is try to place people with summer internships in DC; which are a dime a dozen and most importantly do not pay. The school provides no support for alumni in their job search and doesn't care frankly about what you do once you stop paying tuition. The school is meant to serve a segment of the population that has tons of money and can provide their kids with jobs when they graduate. It is not a school for those striving to make it on their own or develop themselves into something better. If you borrow money to attend this school, you will face the harsh reality that you over-paid for your experiences and your degree is worth the exact amount as one with Longwood or Virginia Commonwealth stamped across the top.</p>

<p>I do hate the University of Richmond. I hate the fact that they still send me crap asking for donations. It irritates me that a school with a horrible quality of life, limited services, bad academics, and a dismal future sucked away the first few years of college. Transferring was a pain in the ass and the school was expensive. Paying for it will continue far after I graduate from my much more national school that costs a fraction of the price. I guess my main point is that Richmond is a horrible buy for a good majority of entering college students and I wanted to lend this perspective to whoever might come onto this board looking up information on the school. I thought Richmond was awful.</p>

5

<p>URdefect, I guess you just answered the question that I asked (below this thread) about the financial aid packages.
Here are the numbers that they supply to the CB. The package is on average 20% loan, and 80% grant. That is not bad, if it is factual. They meet 100% of need (of course that is need as they interpret it). I would like to know if middle class and upper middle class families can afford this school. Here are the numbers as listed on CB:</p>

<p>Full-time freshman enrollment: 753
Number who applied for need-based aid: 420
Number who were judged to have need: 311
Number who were offered aid: 311
Number who had full need met: 296
Average percent of need met: 100%
Average financial aid package: $31,115
Average need-based loan: $2,587
Average need-based scholarship or grant award: $27,929
Average non-need based aid: $29,185
Average indebtedness at graduation: $17,165
EFC Calculator</p>

<p>Compare Your Aid Awards</p>

<p>Financial Aid Distribution
Percent of total undergraduate aid awarded as:
Scholarships / grants: 80%
Loans / jobs: 20%</p>

6

<p>amen URDEFECT. i'm actually thankful UR waitlisted me. i'm soooo glad i choose penn state over UR.</p>

7

<p>Wow. Just wow. URdefect, when I started reading your first post, I went into it with a very open mind. I know people in my class who aren't fans of UR, who transferred for various reasons, but seriously. If you're going to bash a school, at least get the facts straight before you bash it. I hope that prospective students don't come on this board, read your post, and cross Richmond off of their lists because of some of the things you had to say. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>A brand new dining hall opened Fall 2006, and not only is it beautiful, but the food is pretty darn good, cafeteria or not. </p></li>
<li><p>There are other options for food off campus, you just have to make the effort to go out and find them. The school offers a shuttle to Cary Town, which is maybe ten minutes away and is loaded with good places to eat and shop. There are places to eat ALL OVER THE PLACE! Within five minutes of campus, there is an extremely popular cafe (Mosaic), an italian place, and a japanese steak house (all off of river road); Ukrops (which has a cafe), Subway, Moe's, and a few other restaurants (off of Three Chopt). If you drive ten minutes down Hugoenot or go down to Broad Street, there's a whole world of things to eat, places to shop, and things to do. And then, there's downtown Richmond. All students can bring cars, there's a bus system, there are cab services, there are shuttles, and if all else fails, you can walk.</p></li>
<li><p>All of the dorms have A.C., and the dorms have decent furniture. It's not the best quality, but it's a dorm! Come on, what do you expect? It has to survive year after year. And I don't know which dorms you've been in, but the ones that I've seen are pretty nice. There's also a new dorm opening this Fall (I believe, might be Spring), and they are renovating all of the dorms in the upcoming years.</p></li>
<li><p>The entire campus is wireless.</p></li>
<li><p>As has already been said, the wellness center just opened in the Spring and it's fantastic. And huge. Sorry, it's not in the middle of campus. At worst, it's a fifteen minute walk from one side to the other, and that's if your strolling. You're going for a workout, right? (p.s. -- there are a lot of people who do work out outside. At any given time on any given day--even when it's raining--you can usually find people outside running. It is still done--by choice.) And most of the dorms and academic buildings are on the Richmond side of campus, which is where the wellness center is.</p></li>
<li><p>I never get tired of the beauty of the Richmond campus. Yeah, some days you're busy and running from class to class to activity, etc., but then other days, you look up and it hits you--this is a GORGEOUS place. It's breath taking. </p></li>
<li><p>I'm trying to think what other "substandard facilities" you're talking about. Let's see...the library is lovely and is complete with a Media Center, dozens of computers, fabulously squashy chairs, quiet and group study areas. The stacks were recently renovated, and I think that the Media Center is actually being renovated this summer. The Modlin Center for the Arts is gorgeous. The theaters are fabulous. The academic buildings are picturesque. I'll admit that the classrooms look like...classrooms. </p></li>
<li><p>I think that academics are really a personal thing. Personally, I think the academics are wonderful. I may not love all of my classes, I may hate some of the books I have to read, and yeah, sometimes I think the discussions can be boring. But when I think back on the past year, I know that I've learned a lot. I think in this area, college--any college--is what you make it. If you don't bring your voice, your opinions, into a discussion-based class, you're going to get very little out of it. If you just sit there waiting for interesting, worthwhile stuff to be shoved under your nose, you may find it, but then again, you might not. </p></li>
<li><p>Opportunities: I'm not quite sure where you get the idea that there are no opportunities at Richmond. Visit the CDC, talk to your professors, get involved in one of the (hundreds? I can't remember how many we have) clubs, join an intramural team, write for the newspaper, submit poetry to the litmag, contact alumni in your areas of interest. Sometimes, fantastic opportunities just fall in your lap. One dropped into my email inbox this afternoon, out of the blue. But most of the time, if you want something, you have to get off your bum and go after it. It's true at Richmond, and it's true in the real world...</p></li>
<li><p>Clueless people: You would be surprised, actually, if you got to know some of the girls that you dub dumb blondes or some of those stupid, perpetually drunk frat boys. You would be surprised by what they're passionate about, what they want to do with their lives, what they've been through. Not everything is as skin deep at the polo shirts and khakis that abound on campus. Ever heard the old saying "don't judge a book by it's cover"? Well, don't. And seriously, are you saying that any person from an itty bitty town doesn't have anything to contribute to society? Because that's the way it sounds.</p></li>
<li><p>My friendships aren't skin deep, thanks very much. </p></li>
<li><p>I'm still at Richmond, so I can't say what my job prospects will be like after I graduate. I expect that they'll be similar to whatever job prospects I would have going any where else, simply because I'm the kind of person who goes after what she wants. I don't rely on the Richmond name to get me places, and I don't rely on someone else to get me places. I go out and ask for what I want, and if someone says no, so what? I'll keep asking. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>What I would stress the most is that Richmond is what you make it. Maybe that's not the way you think college should be; maybe you think that college should be a place where things are handed to you. This aspect of Richmond is perfect for me, however, so please don't say that because it didn't work for you, it's crap. Richmond has taught me to go out and ask for what I want. This summer, I negotiated a contract for my internship and will be assuming a paid position during the school year. It TERRIFIED me, but in the end, I got exactly what I wanted, and a major leadership position to boot for my enthusiasm and determination. I've never, ever done that before, but I did it--entirely by myself--thanks to the 'go out and get 'em' energy of the university. </p>

<p>Sorry this ended up being so long, but I just can't let you get away with saying some of the things you said without providing an argument. Props to anyone who read the entire thing :P</p>

8

<p>First, I will cease to comment on the discussion of the facilities at Richmond. Posters on this board seem intent on focusing on improvements the University has made since I left, and I will concede that it is probably likely that they have improved facilities since my departure.</p>

<p>The real point of my thread is that I am a former URichmond student that hated my experience at the school. I stumbled into Richmond a little blindly and didn’t do my homework as well as I could have when I was a senior in high school. I want to provide a critique of the school that others can find useful when they find themselves choosing a school. I don’t want students to be like me and get duped into the “this is such a beautiful place and the academics are wonderful and the opportunities abound” spiel. Richmond is not a very good school for most incoming college students. It does not provide the collegial experience that other schools do. Its facilities really aren’t better than public universities, it’s faculty certainly isn’t better than at state universities, and it does not provide its students with more opportunities to offset its ridiculous high price.</p>

<p>Unlike 2010 above; I actually attended two schools and can compare them instead of getting emotional and defending UR blindly. I transferred out of Richmond to attend the flagship state university that I originally picked Richmond over. The difference was vast. Large state schools have better faculty. It’s just a fact. If you were a smart, engaging, and well known professor you will want to be associated with major research universities. Most large schools, contrary to some beliefs, make their star faculty teach undergraduate courses. The chances to get really good faculty, makes up for the tiny percentage of large courses where you will interact more with TAs than you do with the actual professor. But then again, TAs typically know their stuff too and care deeply about their performance as they are still graduate students and still being evaluated. TAs probably have more to lose, and thus more incentive to teach than a professor with a cozy job at Richmond. Next, let’s talk about opportunities. At Richmond there’s a CDC that focuses on internships and not actual careers. Look at the Vault Survey for Richmond’s placement stats. It isn’t rosy. Richmond doesn’t draw career fairs of any decent size like a state university can. It’s a school that leaves you on your own, applying for jobs all on your own. State schools have much larger support networks and larger offices committed to bringing in companies to interview recent college grads and working hard to get postings directly to students. On the job front, you will be no better off than the person that paid 1/4th of what you did to get your degree. That’s right, you could have gone to VCU or Old Dominion for a fraction of the cost of Richmond and had the exact same job opportunities at graduation. Internships during school are easy to get from anywhere and all career development offices help with these. Bigger cities offer more opportunities than smaller cities and isolated schools like Richmond inevitably suffer. And to preempt the Richmond trolls, unpaid DC internships over the summer are a dime a dozen and reflect privilege more than prestige. For the most part, employers see these internships as neutral space-fillers on your resume.</p>

<p>I just want incoming seniors to make the best choices they can. You will make a bad choice if all the information you get is unnaturally rosy about a place. Lots of things are rosy about Richmond; but if you want a rigorous course load, more extracurricular opportunities, better employment prospects, and a chance to not graduate with Sallie Mae on your back strangling you then choose a better school than the University of Richmond.</p>

9

<p>As you've said, URdefect, I've only been to Richmond (because I love it there and unlike you did, am having a great experience), so I can't compare it to other schools, much less humongous state universities. I have a few questions for you, however: When did you attend UR, and which school did you transfer to? </p>

<p>You say that the difference between Richmond and the flagship state university that you attended was vast. Well, of course it was. They are two entirely different animals. When I was looking at colleges, I immediately crossed off the larger universities (in fact, Richmond may have been the largest school I looked at). I wanted small class sizes, and I didn't want to be taught by a TA (no matter how knowledgable that TA might be). In doing so, however, there are things that you sacrifice. A larger university, nine times out of ten, will have a great reach and often times greater resources, simply because of its size and the depth and breadth of its alumni. That being said, Richmond does have a great connection with its alumni. As for being left "on your own," I stand behind what I said before. If you ask for help, you will receive it. </p>

<p>I, too, want seniors (and the juniors who are putting their own lists together) to have the best information they possibly can. I would hope that they would look at your incredibly negative opinion and not immediately strike Richmond from the list, just because you had a bad experience however many years ago. Richmond is a wonderful school; the majority of the students who now attend and I'm sure many alumni would tell you the same. Is it right for everyone? No. If what you want is a large state university complete with all of the benefits supplied therein, then chances are, Richmond isn't for you. If you want small classes taught by professors who have experience in their field, who will most likely have PhDs, who genuinely care for their students and will do their best to make sure these students succeed...if you want a (yes) beautiful place to live that isn't in a big city, that's close to DC and Richmond and Alexandria and other cities...and yes, if you are a leader, if you are independent or you're not afraid to ask for what you want or need, then maybe Richmond is the place for you. Don't write it off just yet.</p>

10

<p>URDefect, we have a 92% freshman retention rate. That means that you are one of the 8% that decided to transfer at the end of your freshman year. So, how is it that 92% of students in your class had an acceptable-to-amazing time and decided to stay if the school is really so terrible?</p>

<p>I have gone to another university, when I studied abroad. I will admit, comparing a large school in Australia (30,000 students...UR is 1/10 the size) to a small school in the US may be comparing apples and...well, potato bread, as I'd say large school v. small school in the same country is apples and oranges. That being said, I have enjoyed my experience much more at UR. At my abroad insitution, there was only one library, barely any wireless internet, no wired internet offered in the dorms, most kids lived off campus, and only one out of my four professors knew my name. I did enjoy my tutors (the Australian equivalent of TAs), but I heard some horror stories from my friends. I was lost without access to a music library and music lab. The people there were amazing.</p>

<p>One of my friends attends UMD College Park. He told me of their housing crisis (kicking all of the seniors out of campus housing after they could have found off-campus housing on their own, leaving them essentially homeless), his inability to take classes in the music department because of his non-major status, and all sorts of other things that did not sound appealing to me. Why wouldn't you want to go to a school that essentially guarantees housing all four years and keeps classes open to all students, regardless of major? (Sure, some classes have places reserved for majors and minors, but those spots will be opened to non-majors if they don't fill up.)</p>

<p>My aunt teaches at Virginia Tech, one of the large universities that you try to compare UR to. First off, she was very impressed when it became official that I would be attending UR. Secondly, she tells me about the classes of 600+ students that she teaches, huge lecture halls and TAs who grade the papers instead of her. She's more interested in her research that she's doing. While that's not a problem for her career, I'd rather have a professor whose focus is on my performance than a TA whose main focus is getting his or her degree. I'll look into the big schools when I'm applying to grad school; it's better to work with professors known for their research when you're in a more intimate setting such as a grad program. I'm happy to be at a school that is known for its undergraduate research opportunities, small class sizes, etc. Also, for the past two years, yes, the number of students applying went down. However, this year the number of applicants went up again, following the trends previous to the rise in cost.</p>

<p>Another thing: all schools send anyone who attended for even a few weeks information about donations. That's what schools do.</p>

<p>Lastly, Johanna1789: sounds like sour grapes to me. All of your other posts rave about UR.</p>

11

<p>I will concede that there are some that find Richmond an enjoyable experience. There are many that do not. One of the things that Richmond attempts to project to perspective students is the fact that attending school there will be one of these awesome experiences. You yourself admit that there is a good deal of students that are not fans of their own school. This should not be the case with a Liberal Arts College. If you are not happy then why are you paying through the nose to be there?</p>

<p>I matriculated at Richmond in Fall of 2004 and left after the Fall 2005 term to attend UGA in Athens. I am graduating in August. I think I originally went to Richmond for many of the same reasons you highlighted in your post. You didn’t want the big class experience and you want full professors to teach your classes, etc. The problem is, many people equate full professors and small classes as an indication of superior academic quality when this isn’t the case at all. Traditionally, a TA is simply a graduate student that’s going on to become a full PhD professor somewhere. To be accepted to competitive graduate programs at top Research Universities like UGA, they have to be on top of their stuff, in most cases much more so than at Richmond. Moreover, TAs are typically only used to teach large survey classes and work in teams. They are many times more approachable by students since they are younger and have something to lose by not performing (bad teaching ratings will hurt them in their job search as opposed to professors who already have jobs and in many cases tenure. Also, it is worth noting that a school like Richmond is not nationally recognized enough to attract the best of the best professors. You will get full PhDs, but not the best PhDs who will want to work with people in major research universities. Richmond cannot compete in this arena.</p>

<p>I think high school students are largely naïve about what makes a good college experience. Some are “freaked out” by the size of some state universities, but in reality they are in many cases a better experience. Richmond is a lot like a large high school. It’s small, it’s closed off, and there’s less to do. A major state university is in many ways a real bridge to the real world, in that you are forced to interact with a vast variety of people and are more on your own to seek out opportunities. Here at UGA everything is just vastly better than at Richmond. Vastly. School spirit… Wow… the SEC is amazing. I never watched football before coming to college and didn’t think I’d put so much stock in it. But it is a campus wide event that just about everyone gets involved in. It’s great. It makes you feel proud about your school. I doubt anyone at Richmond ever gets that feeling about Ring Dance or even a good basketball year. Opportunities? Oh my gosh, they are everywhere. Everyone knows about UGA. They know that it’s not some no name school. The University of Richmond is known in Virgina and up the Atlantic Seaboard in some circles, but is hardly a standout. UGA isn’t known as a standout school either, but it is viewed much more highly than no-name Richmond. And finally, my friends that graduated in Spring have taken some great jobs that my friends at Richmond did not get. Richmond kids I knew, ended up waiting tables and studying for the LSAT because they don’t know what to do with their lives and find themselves clueless and unmarketable after undergraduate studies.</p>

<p>If you are rich and can afford Richmond, my critique largely doesn’t apply to you. However, if you are concerned with your post-degree job prospects, a sense of school spirit that carries on after you leave, just a better college experience (Athens is incredible!) and a cheaper experience… there are much better options out there. Even if you are rich, take the extra 25k/yr it costs to attend Richmond and put it in a Money Market account for yourself. You’ll graduate with ~0.125 million dollars to get started with.</p>

<p>I think we both can agree that’s a much better way to start off than just with a Richmond degree on the wall.</p>

12

<p>Adorkable</p>

<p>8% attrition from an elite private college is pretty significant. Moreover, almost all of those leaving the university left because they did not like the school. This is undeniable. There are considerable numbers of people that do not like UR that are there, that just put up with it, that keep their mouth's shut and bite the bullet. If you say to me you haven't met one person unhappy with their college choice at UR, then you are lying out of your teeth. This is different than at Publics where people largely enjoy and want to attend the school they are at. When I was there, the Richmond experience itself caused some to be depressed. Others develop eating disorders. UR has a MESSED up social scene. I would even go so far as saying it stunts young people's social skills considerably.</p>

<p>You try to compare UR with a public University in Australia. Well it's a different country, and it was run completely differently, state universities here aren't like international universities. Secondly, your Aunt that teaches a class of 600 doesn't also tell you that you won't take very many classes of that size. Only a few. As for closing off classes due to major requirements that happens at UR anyway. A biochem major probably isn't going to be allowed to do an advanced leadership studies class without fulfilling the lower requirements. And then again, the much more vast course offerings at a State University trump being able to skip around colleges at Richmond.</p>

<p>TAs are dogged for no reason. See the post above.</p>

13

<p>Just my two cents: Those who have never heard of Richmond are not that important in the business world. People only know UGA because it is a state school (not even a great one at that, its maybe a top 25 PUBLIC school), which says nothing. Richmond is academically superior to UGA. </p>

<p>Sports no contest, Bull Dogs > Spiders</p>

<p>That's about the only place where Georgia is better.</p>

14

<p>UGA grads get entry-level jobs into real careers. My Georgia friends got good offers, (non-science majors) in the 45-55k range on average. One got a job much higher. My Richmond friends found themselves largely unemployable. Those that found jobs were in the low-30s. </p>

<p>Academics are equal. It's the same amount of work and the same difficulty. There's the same amount of focus on independent research. The perception that academics are better at Richmond is simply unfounded and not that important considering the low visibility of Richmond outside Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic states.</p>

15

<p>Thanks, hallerbigballer. At this point, I've stopped caring what you say, URDefect. The fact that you signed up solely to explain to the world how much you hate UR means that you're just not worth the effort I've been putting into this.</p>

<p>I'm not trying to say that no one dislikes UR. Most of my friends have some sort of gripe with the school. I do too. Who doesn't though? Everyone I know has SOMETHING that they don't completely love about a school. Stop blaming normal, everyday occurances on UR.</p>

<p>I myself considered transferring, but all of the schools I looked at had somethign wrong too. I realized that the package I got (see my post in northeastmom's post about fin. aid for a description of my fin. aid) and what was available to me here was worth sticking it out, flaws included. I came back from Australia loving the school again.</p>

<p>Quit pretending that UGA is the end-all, be-all of all schools. Hopefully anyone reading your posts will realize that you're so impassioned about spreading false facts about this school that, much like an abstinence-only sex ed program, you're causing people to make uninformed decisions. Educate people with FACTUAL INFORMATION and they'll make a decision that, ultimately, will be better for them.</p>

<p>By the way: I applied to Richmond on a whim. Not everyone who doesn't do their research before applying to a school gets screwed.</p>

<p>I tip my hat to you, URDefect, and hope that someday you get over your hang-ups. Quit blaming UR for your defects.</p>

16

<p>URdefect, what the heck is your problem? How many bitter pills (to quote another) did you swallow? I'm glad that you decided to go to another school if you were so unhappy at Richmond. And UGA is a GREAT school. My mom went there, as did my uncles, my cousins, my aunt. They had a great time, learned a lot. One of my cousins went to law school there and recently graduated with excellent prospects. And yeah, It's UGA, of COURSE the sports are better! It's a state schools, state schools are known for athletic rivalries, and UGA has an incredible one! </p>

<p>That being said, I still don't think you're being fair to Richmond. If you didn't stick around for Ring Dance, how can you know what the level of school pride is? I think that a lot of the students truly do love this school, but there's more pride to be found within certain groups, such as the UR Players, WILL, etc. And I wouldn't for a second say that I don't know anyone who isn't happy at UR. I know quite a few people who aren't happy, some who thought about transferring but didn't, some who did. And I genuinely hope that the schools they chose to transfer to are a better fit for them.</p>

<p>I've already addressed the quality of our professors. Every professor that I've had has been wonderful, both in and out of the classroom. I've had fascinating discussions in all of my classes, learned a lot, and have always been able to discuss questions and comments with my professors after class, on the professors' own time. I'm not sure how you would decide whether one professor is superior to another. I know that PhD's abound at Richmond, I know that my English professor's are all published and continue to be published, my theatre professors have all had tremendous experiences in professional theatre throughout their lives before they came to teaching, my journalism professor worked as a journalist for many, many years. My most outstanding teacher, however, was the English teacher I had for my freshman CORE class. He was nothing short of brilliant. He's published, has his PhD, is an expert in his area, was interviewed by PBS for a documentary last year, has given speeches all over the place, even at the ivies. I don't know what professors you had in your time at UR, but all of mine have been wonderful. </p>

<p>As far as Richmond students not getting decent jobs, going on to waitressing, etc...well, yeah, I'm sure some do. I'm sure some Princeton grads do, too. And I'm pretty sure some UGA grads are out there as well. It happens. I also know that a lot of Richmond grads go on to do great things. The friends that I've made here are some of the most passionate, driven, determined people that I know. They will excel, without a doubt. </p>

<p>I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say that the Richmond social scene is messed up. </p>

<p>And as to your reply about the closing of classes off to non-majors, it doesn't happen at Richmond. Yes, there are pre-req's that need to be met for certain advanced classes, but those are to make sure students are prepared for the class they want to take. Every student has the same chance to take the same classes as any other student, major or not. </p>

<p>And Richmond isn't a no-name school. Hate to break it to you, but people <em>have</em> heard of it. And people do like it. Many even love it. I'm sorry you weren't one of them, but I'm glad you found a school that you love. Good luck with graduation, and the future. I would try to cut down on the bitterness, though. It's not an attractive quality.</p>

17

<p>The crushing weight of Sallie Mae on your back is no way to go through life. Don't get caught up with a school you can't afford.</p>

<p>Thread closed/</p>

18

<p>You couldn't even say thanks for the good wishes. :sigh:</p>

19

<p>You're a cool cat. Congrats on graduating UR w/ minimal debt. Thanks.</p>

20

<p>I think I am the complete opposite of URdefect posting and I am actually a current student so the information I am giving is accurate up to date. I am in the middle of my college years here so I have spent the past 2 years being able to learn about the college and become involved. </p>

<p>I spent a lot time in my college search and looked at the various universities, but Richmond stood out to me. Yes I went to a public high school and got a good education, but I knew when I went to college I wanted to get more personalized attention at an academic challenging school. No I am not a “less bright person” as UR defect as decided to label the students here. I was in the top of my class and could have gone to any of those universities that she has listed, but it was my personal choice to come to UR because of how challenging the academic course load is. Furthermore perhaps she should have checked out our first year profile of the incoming class. (<a href="http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/index.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/index.html&lt;/a&gt;) I look at those GPA’s and test scores and at how involved they are and see these students here are anything butt mediocre. I am genuinely impressed by the quality of students here. Everyone has such great experience to share and yes we all know what jobs and volunteering are like. Over 2/3 of the students volunteer each year while being at UR.</p>

<p>Facilities:
Let me start with the facilities that the University has. They are very much up to date and do not look like a camp. All the residence halls are air conditioned, carpeted, kept up to date. In fact UR is completing a new residence hall called Lakeview which will be completed this Spring 2008. This residence hall will be used to ensure that the other residence halls will stay up to date. What this means is that more students will not be let in, but instead this new facility will be used to house students from the residence halls that will be renovated. Also the facilities are incredibly clean. The housekeeping here is absolutely amazing. If you are not completely satisfied, then you can contact facilities and they will respond in less than 48 hours no matter how small or big of request. I’ve used it before and they always respond and fix the problem. As for the internet, the campus has been completely wireless and has been so for awhile. Also in your dorm room even though it is wireless, you do have an Ethernet hookup if you would like to use it. There are no problems with it but rather students only say great things about the wireless. You can literally be anywhere on campus and use the internet including outside and the far reaches of campus.</p>

<p>Food:
As for the eating options again this shows how outdated the URdefect’s experience was here because our main facility the Bruce Heilman dining center was renovated less than a year ago. They now offer pretty much anything and everything. The food is cooked right on campus and we hire our chefs so we are not having the food delivered making it fresh for every meal. The everyday options include a cereal bar (students vote on the ones they want so it ranges from the sugary cereals to the healthy ones), pasta option, brick oven pizza, grilling options, vegan and vegetarian options, fresh fruit and vegetables, taco bar, salad bar, MONGOLIAN GRILL (it’s my favorite), a section called Hemispheres (serves international dishes), Bruce’s which serves the comfort foods (the ones you wouldn’t always expect like casseroles, mash potatoes, etc), deli (make any kind of sub you want), and also a desert bar with award winning desserts. This is just one of the options. It is buffet so it’s all-you-can-eat and you can stay as long as you want. The best part of the dining hall in my opinion is how they even personalize it for you. We have a board called the URHEARD which is there for you to offer suggestions. You write in anything even if it’s incredibly minor and they will meet your demand. An example is when UR had a student from GA come and we used to not have sweet tea, well she wrote it in and now we have sweet tea. Also these demands will be met in the next week or two, you won’t have to wait until the following semester. The facility of the dining hall is again the exact opposite of what URdefect suggest, when they renovated they listened to the students wanting a more open atmosphere so now it has so much more light coming in through its huge windows that overlook the Westhampton Lake.</p>

<p>Our second dining is Tyler’s Grill which more commonly known as the Pier. It’s more of a to go option, but it is not like fast food. It is still filled with quality even if you have to grab it fast. Our third dining option is the Cellar which is the on campus restaurant. It’s great for a little bit longer of a dinner. It has a Friday’s/ Applebee’s type feel to it. There is an on campus bar for students who are 21 or over, but before you are 21 you will still want to go the restaurant. The atmosphere is a lot of fun in how there will be live mic nights, different bands will perform, there are large screens to watch popular sporting or other television events, etc. There are two convenience stores on campus so you don’t even have to leave to grab a box of cereal or to get a late night snack. There options are amazing again in how they took what the students wanted and really listened.</p>

<p>Another fun addition is the caf</p>